Rethinking exhibitions: a conceptual framework for art space for 21st century art in Malaysia / Nursuliana Sulaiman

21st century art demands a new mode of display that goes beyond the "white-box" exhibition model due to changing needs of engagement in the artwork and audience. In Malaysia, art galleries are often government or private commercial ones; which are driven by social- political agendas that reinforce the white cube ideologies. This impedes development of exhibition spaces for 21st century art and this lack of appropriate platform has sparked initiatives amongst local artists to establish their own alternative spaces that fulfill this philosophical gap. However, these spaces are self funded and are unsustainable. To boost the Malaysian art scene, there is a critical need to reinvent exhibition spaces in Malaysia to accommodate new needs of 21st century art. This study aims to empirically investigate the spatial needs of exhibitions in Malaysia catered to the needs of 21st century art. It proposes a spatial framework for contemporary art spaces in Malaysia that can accommodate the demands of 21st century art. The objectives include exploring spatial factors contributing to appropriate exhibition spaces, identifying alternative art spaces that align with the "appropriate" exhibition model for 21st century art in Malaysia, understanding the roles of exhibitions in nurturing 21st century art, and establishing a practical spatial framework for 21stcentury art exhibitions in Malaysia.